Nestled into an incline overlooking the Grand River in Cambridge, Ont., the Dunfield Theatre opened in March. Diamond Schmitt Architects gave the $14-million building a simple exterior of limestone and two types of metal panels – white defines the public areas, charcoal grey covers a fly-tower that rises nine metres above the lower roof line.

At the front of the building, a glass wall allows patrons to look out to the Grand River and passersby to look in from the public plaza to the 13-metre-high lobby. Dunfield Retirement Residence of Cambridge paid $1-million for 25 years for naming rights.

The soaring lobby. Built with capital funds from the city, provincial and federal governments, Dunfield Theatre is owned by the City of Cambridge and has been leased for 50 years to Drayton Entertainment, a not-for-profit enterprise that offers family-oriented professional theatre at six other venues across southern Ontario. Drayton has almost reached its $4.5-million capital campaign for this project and renovations at its other theatres.

Clad in beech wood and split-face grey concrete block, the 500-seat theatre was designed with audience comfort in mind. Seats are 22-inches wide – one inch wider than normal with an extra 1.5 inches between rows.

“Theatre companies are saying, yes, we want great acoustics and sightlines but we want to talk about the entire experience for the audience,” says Gary McCluskie, a principal at Diamond Schmitt, who worked closely with Drayton in the year-long design phase.

Diamond Schmitt’s challenge was to combine production, administration, performance, rehearsal – and even housing for up to 33 cast members – in a tight budget. The wardrobe department got a large, airy second-floor space with north-facing windows and direct access to a loading dock.

Second-floor administration offices. One floor above, the theatre offers accommodation for visiting cast members. Dorms are organized in pods of four to six bedrooms, with kitchen and laundry facilities, washrooms and common areas.

“I have never worked anywhere where the housing is connected to the building,” says New York-based performer Mark Ledbetter, who plays the role of Bert in Mary Poppins, the inaugural show of the first season.

When the theatre is dark, it will be rented out for other uses. Off the 78-seat balcony, for example, a reception area juts out above the theatre entrance and doubles as a space for meetings. “From the city’s perspective, it is a wonderful way to provide this sort of artistic display to the community at no operating cost,” says Cambridge city solicitor Steve Matheson, who negotiated the agreement with Drayton. Given limited tax revenue sources for municipalities, he predicts increased use of public-private projects in future.